


You’re Like a Ghost (You’re Everywhere)

by ValkyriaRising



Series: Night City Never Sleeps [4]
Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Closure, Columbarium, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Johnny finally achieves some closure toward his past life, Johnny’s body deserves some justice, Kind-of funeral, Night city, Post-Chippin’ In Quest, Post-Oil Field Chat, Samurai (Cyberpunk 2077), V does something nice for Johnny that he didn’t realize he needed, emotional closure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:55:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28348758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyriaRising/pseuds/ValkyriaRising
Summary: Johnny’s words had been stuck in her head since they had visited his grave. V had inscribed his initials there, but wanted to do something more.(Follow up to This Time (I’ve Been Waiting))
Relationships: Johnny Silverhand/Female V
Series: Night City Never Sleeps [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2076108
Comments: 10
Kudos: 178





	You’re Like a Ghost (You’re Everywhere)

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter title comes from _Never Fade Away_ by Samurai. 
> 
> The scene where you visit Johnny’s grave during the Chippin’ In quest literally breaks my heart and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I played it. I decided to write a follow-up because I feel like the game didn’t give Johnny the closure he deserved, so if CDPR won’t, I will. I also put this fic into a series entitled _Night City Never Sleeps_ with _Late Nights and Dark Tides_ and _This Time (I’ve Been Waiting)_ because they’re all basically related to one another and follow the same timeline. I highly recommend reading _This Time (I’ve Been Waiting)_ especially because it sets the scene for this one-shot.
> 
> Warnings: breakfast and lots of angst, a visit to the Columbarium, closure for Johnny (and maybe a little for V, too), lots of kisses
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys <3 
> 
> -Valk

His tone that night had always bothered her—when they visited his grave. 

Johnny tried to act as if being buried under rubble in an oil field didn’t bother him—no marker, no sign, nothing—but she could tell by the way he had acted that it seemed to cut into him deeply. V didn’t want to open an old wound, but she did want to commemorate him how he deserved—give him something better than an oil hell pit and no gravestone.

The Johnny Silverhand the world knew was dead—the hardcore rocker boy whose legacy was marked by the rubble left behind after he blew up Arasaka Tower. He cared about the music and the prosperity it brought his other band members, but ultimately she knew if he were to be remembered, he would want to be remembered for his attempts to bring down corporate leeches—not for just singing about them. 

Few people had given them glances on the streets. It had been 50 years since he had ‘died’ and Samurai fans were few and far between. V liked their music, but wouldn’t have known it existed without Johnny. Just in case, though, Johnny insisted on wearing his trademark aviators and had pulled his dark hair half up into a small bun—a look that made V drool. 

At the moment, V was lying lazily beside him in their bed, dim light filtering through the windows and coming to rest gently on his face. It had been rainy and gloomy for a few days now and neither of them felt the need to get out of bed. Rent was paid, there was food in the kitchen, and entertainment usually came in the form of each other. 

It had been a few months since V had put Johnny’s biochip in a clone of his body and so far, things seemed to be going smoothly. Surprisingly, Johnny had an easier time adjusting to the shift than she had and seemed almost content with being back inside a physical embodiment of who he was before. The only difference was he now had someone scolding him about his old smoking and drinking habits, of which V’s chiding seemed to curb both to a reasonable degree. 

V rolled over among the tangled sheets, tucking her head under Johnny’s neck, her warm naked skin pressing against his. He made a small noise of approval, dipping his head down to place a soft kiss in her hair. 

“G’ mornin’ princess,” Johnny mumbled, his voice slurred slightly from drowsiness. V practically purred against his chest, taking a moment to listen to his heartbeat under his muscular chest. 

It was truly a miracle of science that she was able to listen to the heartbeat of a dead man walking—a man she had come to love even after he had taken an accidental vacation in her brain and had tried to kill her (again, accidentally). 

“Good morning,” V murmured, sitting up slightly to trail a hand through his hair. 

She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, becoming absorbed in the way they melded together so perfectly. Johnny was quick to pull her into his lap, her thighs straddling his hips. She leaned forward to rest her chest against his, gazing at him thoughtfully. 

“Jus’ woke up, but something seems to be on your mind,” Johnny commented, his grip on her hips secure. 

“Got something for us to do today—that’s all,” V replied, sitting up again and stretching, sighing in relief when her shoulders finally cracked. 

“You’re telling me I have to get out of bed,” Johnny lamented sarcastically. “Got all I need right here.” 

“Just something to make you feel better—that’s all,” V replied, dragging a palm down his muscular chest before sliding off of him, smiling slightly when the rockstar made a noise of disapproval. 

“Who said I felt bad?” His tone was measured, but she could detect a curious undertone. “I’m just peachy, as a matter of fact.”

V looked over her shoulder at him, noting the way his eyes trailed after her naked ass as she picked up their clothes off the floor and tossed them toward the vicinity of her dirty clothes bin. 

“I don’t doubt that. Just want to do something you may not realize you need until it happens.” 

“Ominous doesn’t suit you—too pretty for that—but I’ll tag along if you think it’ll help.”

“I do.” She left it at that, noting his puzzled look as she sorted through her closet, finally settling on her usual cropped windbreaker, a crop top, and a pair of black jeggings. 

Johnny followed her lead, finding it difficult to get dressed when V’s hands wandered across his strong shoulders and down his muscular arms. She had a habit of leaning against them, subtly nuzzling them and practically melting when he flexed against her. He laughed quietly, grabbing her wrists and pinning them to a nearby wall. 

“Easy, V,” he whispered against her skin, planting a teasing kiss under her jaw. “Don’t get me started—know I can’t resist you.” 

“You know you’re my favorite reason to be late,” she purred back, grumbling in discontent when he moved away, a cocky smirk painted on his stupidly attractive face. 

They were out the door after V pulled her hair up and Johnny found his glasses, debating whether she should drive or if he should. They eventually settled onto V’s Kusanagi, taking off after she revved the engine to warm it up. She always felt the best when she was soaring down the highway with Johnny clinging to her waist—his chest pressed against her back. Their last stop was the most important, but for now she was hungry and after some debate they settled on breakfast at their favorite diner. 

V was digging into her scrambled eggs when Johnny kicked her foot affectionately under the table to get her attention. 

“Gonna tell me what this is about?” 

V swallowed, taking a small sip of her coffee to wash the eggs down before responding. 

“You’ll see. It’ll be good I promise.” 

He hated when she was being sneaky—which was ironic considering how stealthy she generally was. He glared at her playfully and V smirked back, stealing a piece of bacon from his plate. 

“Wish I was still in your head at times like this,” Johnny grumbled lightheartedly, attempting to take his piece of bacon back before it made its way into V’s mouth. “Miss knowing what you’re thinking.” 

“Just trust me.”

“Always have.”

“Good—leave it at that.” 

They finished their breakfast in relative silence, with Johnny laughing when V practically snorted coffee out of her nose as someone tripped coming through the front door of the diner. That only made her laugh harder and she did her best to swallow before throwing her napkin at him in retaliation. 

“Come on you asshole.” That had become a term of endearment between them and it always made him chuckle when she used it. They paid and left; Johnny wrapped an arm around her shoulders. It felt natural and she was glad to have him back—especially in the flesh. 

They rode leisurely through Night City, crossing the border into North Oak and cruising up the hill and along the coast before V parked her bike in front of the Columbarium. Johnny gave her a puzzled look behind his aviators, following a few steps behind her as they descended into the building, passing mourning souls and niches marked with names alike. 

V could feel her hands shaking, but she kept her steps steady, hoping Johnny wouldn’t notice how nervous she was. She just wanted to do something nice for him—make up for how terribly his past self had been treated after his death. While there was no way to locate his remains in the wide open oil fields where they had been disposed of unmarked, she could at least bring him peace by giving him a place to mourn his old life, even if his body wasn’t located there. 

She turned the corner on her heel, following the directions on her watch until she found what she was looking for. V approached the niche quietly, looking over her shoulder as Johnny stopped beside her, his eyes scanning the text that appeared in front of them. 

_Johnny Silverhand  
A thing of beauty will never fade away._

It took him a moment to process what he was reading, but once he had he turned to V, his brow furrowed—unable to sort out the plethora of emotions that were flowing through him. Of course he knew those lyrics—that tune was never not stuck in his head—but the fact that he finally had a small space dedicated to what he once was made his heart nearly stop in his chest. 

“Shit V, I-I don’t know what... what to say.”

“I know you would’ve done the same for me,” V murmured, wrapping a gentle arm around his waist and nuzzling his chest. “You deserve better than how you were treated.” 

V waved her wrist in front of the niche and Johnny watched with interest as it slowly slid open, revealing something he was surprised to see had survived at all. V plucked the damaged biochip out of the niche drawer, flipping it in her palm before extending it towards him. 

“Look familiar?” Her tone was teasing and Johnny couldn’t help but crack a smile. 

“Could almost be my twin.” 

That made V chuckle, and she watched as Johnny slowly rotated the chip between his fingers. The biochip had brought them together—something she was grateful for despite how haphazardly they had met. She felt a pang in her chest for a moment, recognizing it as the same feeling she felt when Jackie had died in her arms. That one small chip had caused her so much pain, and seeing it in the hands of the very person whose engram used to be inscribed on it was almost unreal. 

“We’ve come pretty far, huh?” 

Johnny’s words drew V out of her thoughts and she nodded. 

“If I told you I wouldn’t change anything that’s happened, would you believe me?” 

Johnny was struck by the question and he placed the biochip gently back into the drawer, gazing at V as it closed once more, tucking away the very item that had sealed their fate together. V met his gaze evenly, reaching up to brush a stray lock of dark hair out of his face. 

“Even the whole ‘almost dying’ thing?” 

“Eh no pain, no gain. Then I wouldn’t have met you.” 

“I tried to kill you,” Johnny snorted, raising a skeptical eyebrow. 

“Not because you wanted to,” V retorted, giving Johnny a playful smile. “ _Well_ , maybe in the beginning you did, but you somehow wiggled your way into my apartment and now your toothbrush is in my bathroom drawer, so…”

Johnny let out an amused huff, glancing up at the niche with his name and lyrics on the front for a moment. 

“You tried to hide it—when we were sitting out on that oil field, I mean—but I had already gotten good at reading you by then,” V murmured, following his gaze and giving his waist a comforting squeeze. “I know it hurt you that your body had just been tossed aside like garbage after Arasaka used Soulkiller on you. You deserve better, Johnny, and while I can’t get your original body back, the old you deserves better than to be discarded and forgotten.” 

Johnny could feel his throat tightening and he tried to fight back the tears threatening to prick the edges of his eyes, instead choosing to pull V against his chest and press a kiss against the crown of her head. His instincts told him to deflect—act like he wasn’t the slightest bit emotional about the gesture, but ultimately there were no words that could ever describe how grateful he was. He instead just held onto her, wondering how he had gotten so lucky to be paired with the only person in this _goddamn city_ who had ever shown him kindness despite how he had treated her in the past. 

“I, uh… _thank you_ , V.” It was all he could get out for now without becoming choked up. 

V understood, tucking her head against him just to listen to his heartbeat again. 

Somewhere out there the remains of Johnny Silverhand were buried in an unmarked grave under Night City and V just couldn’t stand that thought. Now, in front of them stood a reminder that not only had he existed, but that he had rocked the city to its core. 

That’s all he could ask for. He didn’t even know he needed this; somehow she seemed to know him better than he knew himself despite the fact that _he_ had been inside of _her_ head—not the other way around. 

“I’ll give you some time,” V whispered, turning to take a few steps away, but she didn’t get far before Johnny grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards him and drawing her into a kiss. 

V reached up to pull his sunglasses off, deepening the kiss as he reached a hand up to cup her jaw. 

“I don’t fucking deserve you, V,” Johnny murmured once they broke apart, clenching his jaw to keep a rising sob trapped in his throat. 

“That’s not for you to decide. I choose my own company,” she replied gently, brushing her knuckles along his cheekbone. “Now come on, we’ve got a city to burn.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know that Johnny already has a niche at the columbarium under his real name (Robert John Linder), but V never knew that Johnny—she knew the Johnny Silverhand that lived in her head, so I thought that giving his rocker persona a niche as well would be fitting. Thank you all so much for your lovely feedback ❤️ -Valk


End file.
